FEATURE: Mega Brands' battle plan

With more than $350m of debt, plant closures, lay offs and generally the kind of negative financial headlines most firms could do without, you could be forgiven for expecting Mega Brands to feel a little beleaguered at the moment.

But with Thomas and Friends construction items arriving next summer, a deal for toys based on Microsoft Halo video games and, more immediately, the launch of Battle Strikers, there’s more than a little cause for optimism and there’s certainly no discernible trace of despondency from the firm.

Mega Brands has had a tough time recently and recall nightmares have contributed to its heavy level of debt. But with some licensing deals and optimism in Battle Strikers, the firm is confident it can come off the ropes fighting. We spoke to CEO Marc Bertrand about its ongoing battle?